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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Rivera to be honored

Conference Will Honor the Legacy of Tomás RiveraThe April 24 event will celebrate the contributions of the late UC Riverside chancellor and award-winning writer.PRESS RELEASE

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Tomás Rivera was an award-winning author whose stories celebrated the lives of migrant workers, an educator who pressed for instruction informed by language and culture, and an administrator who provided opportunities to those who had historically been excluded from college classrooms and employment.

“It’s been 25 years since his death and we’re still celebrating him,” said Carlos Cortés, professor of history emeritus at the University of California, Riverside.

The annual Tomás Rivera Conference on Friday, April 24, will honor the legacy of Rivera, who was UCR’s chancellor from 1979 to 1984. The event will commemorate the 30th anniversary of his appointment as chancellor and the 25th anniversary of his death. The conference theme is “From the Fields to the Stars.”

Screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos, who wrote the hit film “Under the Same Moon” (“Bajo la Misma Luna”), will introduce her film in the evening program and will conduct screenwriting workshops in the afternoon. Other conference highlights are an art installation of a life-size car made of burlap, “My ’61 Ford,” by Adán Avalos, an exhibition of previously unreleased photos of Rivera and other Hispanic writers by Michael Sedano, and the screening of Villalobos’ “Under the Same Moon.”

All events will be held on the UCR campus and are free and open to the public.

Registration is requested as seating is limited. For program information and registration go to http://creativewriting.ucr.edu/TomasRiveraConference/index.html.